Publisher’s note: We submitted questions to all local Washington State House of Representative candidates whose names will appear on the Aug. 2, 2016 primary election ballot. Here are the responses received from those vying for Position 1 in the 1st Legislative District, which includes Mountlake Terrace, Brier and parts of unincorporated Lynnwood. To find your legislative district, click here.
Neil Thannisch, Republican
Kaz Sugiyama, Democrat submitted the following statement:
If elected, I will accept only one term. Politicians have become indebted to special interests and not the voters. I have not requested any endorsements because I should not be indebted to anyone except District 1. I am looking to make a political difference, not a political career.
I have dedicated my adult life to public service as a commissioned officer in US Coast Guard Reserves and as a social services specialist working with the mentally ill, elderly and the children of Washington State. My intent is to continue this tradition of service in Olympia.
Moving forward on education:
We hear this every election cycle. They say, “If you vote for me, there will be better schools”. Then someone raises taxes and the schools may or may not change. Real change must be taken which allows children to learn in a safe environment free from violence and drugs. Higher taxes don’t necessarily fix everything; but targeted change as well as collaboration with the community does change schools.
Making college more affordable and accessible:
People believe college should be free. This is fiscally not possible. Higher education needs to be affordable. The loans taken out by students for their education must have interest rates based on their income after graduation.
Caring for veterans:
I am a veteran and have been activated 3 times. I continue serving as a drilling reservist. I know the struggles of coming back from deployment and the current issues veterans deal with on a daily basis. I am committed to keeping the promises made to veterans and holding those accountable who fail to do so.
Fixing I-405:
We have tolls and one of the highest gas taxes in the country. We need to abolish one or the other. When there are cost overruns, the tax payer should not pay for them. My parents ran a family business and if they spent money the way government spends it, they would have gone bankrupt. I plan to use the lessons from my parents as your legislative representative to manage any budget.
There are many complicated issues. I promise to listen, work with the community, and lead on your behalf. We all have a role to play (Democrat, Republican, and Independents). Only when we put our community first and our political parties second will real positive change happen.
Thank you. For more information, you can follow me at the links below:
Twitter- https://twitter.com/VoteKaz
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/kazuaki.sugiyama.79
Incumbent Democratic candidate Derek Stanford and Republican candidate Brian Travis have not yet responded to our questions.
You can learn more about all candidates in the online voter’s pamphlet here. The top two vote getters will advance to the November general election, regardless of party.
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